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About the Book

For the emotionally adventurous, the ethically conflicted, and the romantically bruised…

Imagine a garment stitched from silk and regret, lined with ambition, and hemmed in betrayal. Now imagine wearing it across three continents, through the neon-lit alleys of Tokyo, the smoky jazz bars of New York, and the quiet, snow-covered streets of Aomori. That’s what reading this novel feels like.

You’ll meet Makoto Tanaka, a young man with a Waseda education, a taste for indie records, and a talent for seduction—of women, of markets, of fate itself. He’s a stockbroker by day, a lover by night, and a liar in between. He marries the boss’s daughter. He falls for a teenage McDonald’s cashier. He writes letters. He disappears. He returns. He sins. He repents. He sins again.

This is not a love story. It’s a ledger of emotional transactions—some paid in full, others left in arrears.

You’ll encounter Mariko, the porcelain bride with a spine of steel; Mary, the American girl who learns Japanese and heartbreak in equal measure; Nami, the flight attendant who serves tea, turbulence, and temptation; Satomi, the unexpected redemption, found not in a hotel room but in a home.

There are minders. There are mistresses. There are moments of such aching beauty—like a handkerchief folded with care or a whispered apology in a darkened room—that you’ll forget to breathe.

And yes, there is a baby. And a golf club. And a karaoke bar. And a kokeshi doll that watches everything.

About the Author

Peter Wodarz hails from the western suburbs of Minneapolis, where he was born and raised. For many years now, he has been living in Asia, teaching writing, literature, and English-language classes. 

In his free time he reads, travels, skis, and plays golf and tennis; and of course, when the words come, he writes. 

Presently, he lives and teaches in Okinawa, Japan.